Oh Peggy! ~ The magic that is Royal Vintage Shoes

Its time for me to share another amazing shoe from Royal Vintage Shoe's first range! (I must apologise for the delay in getting this out. It seems my bloggers scheduling function on has been having a few issues recently.) As I said in my first post about this gorgeous range, that this collection is something I'm incredibly excited about, especially as I've been getting more and ore into 1940's styling. In this blog I'm sharing the Peggy Heels in brown and white, which are quickly becoming a favourite of mine.

The Peggy is a two tone heel which I absolutely adore for its versatility. Designed by Lauren of Royal Vintage Shoes, these amazing shoes are based on real styles of 1940's shoe. They feature a subtle broguing, these shoes ooze elegance and class in the most simplistic way. The Two Tone is such a striking feature and really helps them match a variety of different looks. The white truly is a stunning bright white, which is something I love in a shoe and the detail on the toe is truly beautiful. I've tried to get as many angles to showcase these shoes in all their glory. They truly are beautiful.

The Peggy heels features a 3 inch Cuban heel, which is great for stability and comfort. I can wear these all day (with the exception of my morning and afternoon walk to and from the station, because it’s such a trek heels are impractical) and not have any aches or pains. Made of leather these shoes are incredibly comfortable and offer great arch support, which means less aches and pains and more time spent looking fabulous!

Sizing wise, it is recommended for people with a standard size foot to size down half a size. However, once broken in I found that the next size down for me would have been too tight across the front of my foot (I’m quite wide there) and that my true size was the right size for me. To break them in I wore them around the house for an evening or two with my partners thick socks on. That was all they needed. I’ve had no blisters at all from these shoes, which is amazing and I can comfortably wear them with or without stockings. They’re such a great shoe I’ve now ordered them in the black colourway, as I feel they’ll be the perfect match for so many outfits as I delve more and more into my 1940’s styling!

These amazing Peggy shoes retail for $150USD, which I can vouch is TOTALLY worth the price. These are high quality leather, comfortable and incredibly well made.  The attention to detail is absolutely spot on and with another pair from this range to review, I cannot sing the praises of this first collection enough. For ladies who love a more authentic look, these shoes are a must. They are also great for office gals as they are a good size and appropriate design.

Royal Vintage Shoes ships worldwide and stock a variety of shoes in their store as well as their own range! I cannot wait to share my next favourite from this range with you all, as they are such a truly stunning and elegant pair of shoes. Don’t forget to follow Royal Vintage on Instagram and facebook to keep up to date with all whats happening with her store as well as her own blog adventures!

I hope you’ve all loved this review dolls!

Til next time!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received these shoes as brand Ambassador for Royal Vintage Shoes, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Garden Wanders ~ 1940s styling with Vivien of Holloway

As a pear shaped gal who loved 1940’s styles, it can be hard. I spent a lot of my free time on the train or my break at work looking through sites like etsy at the amazing 1940’s true vintage pieces on there. There are hurdles of being a pear shape when it comes to this era though. The 1940’s were more of an A-Line skirt than a circle or swing, as fabric was often rationed which means they are a slimmer fit through the hips. Therefore, I find that most 1940’s items are too small in the hips but would fit perfectly in the upper body. It’s important to remember I think: the state of the world during the 1940’s. World War 2 didn’t end til 1945. The world was not as technologically advanced then and getting goods out to the people for the most part took time in both manufacture and transport, at least in stark comparison to today. With the war taking a good chunk of resources, a lot of people were on rations, which lead to a very trim frame for women. Flash forward to the modern world and that’s hardly the case in developed countries at least. So while I do still hunt for true vintage, I’ve been looking for reproduction 1940’s items that I can add to my wardrobe to wear regularly without fear of damaging them. Enter Vivien of Holloway, a brand with some truly amazing 1940’s pieces!

Scarf ~ Baby Pink nylon scarf from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Pastel pink/white eclipe studs from Revere Folie
Brooch ~ Sundae Brooch from Deer Arrow
Blouse ~ Raglan Blouse in Mint from Vivien of Holloway
Pants ~ 1940s Swing Trousers in Soft Sand from Vivien of Holloway
Shoes ~ Saddle shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

Vivien of Holloway is an amazing brand that hails from the UK that stocks a large amount of 1940’s inspired stuff. One thing I’ve always admired about their stock is that it has an authentic feel to it, which is one of the main things that keeps drawing me back into their store. As I’ve gotten more and more interested in the 1940’s, my desire for an authentic polished look has grown.  Swing pants are something I’ve recently fallen in love with big time. For someone on the go a lot like me, they are amazing. Able to be dressed up for work or down for weekend business errands, this style of swing pants are quickly becoming a staple in my wardrobe. Blouses have also become a recent love, especially as my hunt of investing in more 1940’s suits continues. A blouse and swing pants combo felt like the perfect fit!

Starting with the blouse, I was absolutely smitten with the colour. Green is a favourite of mine and soft pastels even more so. I got the size 18, which is a 40 Bust and a 32 Waist, which is pretty close to my measurements. This blouse did fit a bit roomier than I was used to, namely to my rather narrow rounded shoulders but it wasn’t SO big it wasn’t unwearable. I actually found it a pleasant change compared to my firmer fitting tops and it’s a welcome alternative. I could easily size down though for a firmer look or stick to this size for a more relaxed fit. This blouse is made of poly cotton, which means it breathes quite well, which is a MUST for someone with sensitive skin like mine. 

The sleeves are comfortable and not too tight. Their Raglan blouse comes in an array of different prints and colours. Some of the other colourways I'm dreaming about are the birdie Raglan Blouse and the flamingo Raglon blouse. If long sleeves aren't your thing they also have to Jo-Jo blouse, which is the short sleeve version and I honestly cannot wait to get myself some of those in some of their fun prints for the coming Australian summer. My favorite Jo-Jo blouses atm are the pink spiral blouse and the blue crepe gingham. This blouse is truly everything I’d hoped it would be and its one I cannot wait to style in other ways as well as add more to my collection!

The Vivien of Holloway 1940’s Swing Trousers in soft sand are probably the best fitting pair of trousers I own! While many of my other swing trousers have required being taken up or are much too big in the waist, these ones just fit perfectly not just on my waist, but my hips as well. I’m wearing the 32 waist and 44 hip pair, which are almost exactly my measurements. I love how comfortable these are. The waist side button up also means the lines of these pants are incredibly smooth, as I personally find sometimes zips can bunch on me. I stepped outside my comfort zone with these are got a lighter colour than I normally be comfortable in. As a curvier girl I tend to stick to darker colours that are a bit kinder on the slimming factor, but I find with these pants it’s not an issue at all. Their design and the cut from the waist to the hips, along with the side buttons actually smooths across the front! This is amazing for helping to hide problem areas or bloating and is a feature that I find a lot of modern clothing lacks!

These pants are incredibly comfortable to wear and I cannot wait to get them in varying colours and style them in different ways. Their versatility is truly their winning point. Team them with a blouse or a knit top for a more work appropriate look or go casual with a statement tee or a halter top. I’d love to wear this with a halter top in summer. These pants are flowy enough they wouldn’t be too hot either! I’ll definitely be investing in these in some more colours and they do come in a big range too! The Bottle Green is to die for and I definitely need the burgundy pair as well!

The Raglan blouse retails for $66.13AUD and the Trousers are yours for $93.27AUD plus postage. Considering the quality these prices are very good, even with our poor Australian dollar at the moment. Vivien of Holloway do ship worldwide as well, so ladies outside of Australia, you can also snap yourself up this amazing outfit too!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this review. I’m honestly loving all the plush green leaves around home at the moment and they made such a great backdrop for this vibrant outfit. I was so grateful for a chance to work with Vivien of Holloway on this outfit for you all and you can expect to see it in something exciting that’s coming very soon to my blog!

Til next time darlings!

 Disclaimer: Whilst I received these items as part of a collaboration with Vivien of Holloway, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Tropical 1940s Florals from Karina Dresses

I think by now we all know my obsession with 1940's styling is well and truly beginning to thrive. As I've been shifting out 1950's items from my wardrobe that I knew I wouldn't wear anymore, I've been adding in more and more 1940's inspired items to my wardrobe and I've been absolutely loving the experience. There is something about the 1940's that just keeps drawing me in. Its elegance, its sophistication, its class. I always feel absolutely incredible in 1940s styling, so when I saw the Margaret Dress in Navy and White tropics, I knew I needed to make it mine!

The first thing that drew my to the margaret dress was this pattern! Karina dresses are available in multiple different patterns but this one for me just looked for incredibly true to the decade. As my 40's obsession grows, I've been doing a LOT of reading up on characteristics of patterns of that era and this one for me screamed 1940s. The pattern is actually even prettier in person than the pictures, the navy works so well with the fabric and the white really does pop beautifully! 

Flowers ~ Red Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Bryona Earrings in Cobalt from Revere Folie
Necklace ~ Yellow beads from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Scotty Dog brooch from Miss Lady A Broad
Sunglasses ~ Jayjays 4 years ago
Dress ~ Margaret Dress in navy and white tropics from Karina Dresses
Shoes ~ Red Loraine heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

For those who aren't familar with Karina dresses, they are a stunning USA brand that make dresses that for me, hark back to the 1940s in their stying and they are iron free, as they dry crease free. Another feature I love about my Karina Dresses is they fit incredibly well thanks to them simply pulling over your head: no zips or bunching around zips which leads to a seamless silhouette. If I ever want comfort and class, Karina Dresses are my go to! I now have 4 of their gorgeous creations in my wardrobe and they get a lot of wear. 

  One thing I do adore about the Margaret dress is the length. The slightly longer length gives a more authentic shape to the dress as well as giving the wearer a nicer shape. The Margaret Dress also features a built in belt/sash of the same fabric, which I love using the cinch in the waist. The sleeve length is also ideal for ladies who, like me carry a bit of weight on their arms, as they are long enough and loose enough to help slim you down.

I'm wearing their M/L which is my regular size. I find this to be incredibly ample and in reality I could more than likely size down to the S/M without any issues as their dresses have a considerable amount of stretch. If you enjoy comfort and style, Karina dresses are a brand to keep you eyes on. These dresses are amazing for summer (they are incredibly light!!) but for winter I do wear a full slip with them, for that extra layer, ontop of my normal shapewear really does make a difference!

I love styling this dress. Red with the navy and white just absolutely pops and I often find myself throwing in hints of yellow as well to really lift it. For the styling of my shoot I opted for my red rose double from my business Daisy Jean Floral Designs. The red here tied in beautifully with the red background of my brooch and my shoes. The Scotty Dog brooch from Miss Lady A Broad is the perfect 1940's addition to my outfit. As I aim more for authentic styling, I find myself getting SO much wear out of my MIss Lady A Broad brooches. They have such a true vintage look about them and really do go with anything! I have a blog review of Miss Lady A Broad coming to my blog later this month!

Scotty Dog Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad

Bryona Earrings in cobalt and yellow beads

Loraine Heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

The Bryona earrings in cobalt from Revere Folie were also the perfect match for this outfit, as if they were made for it! I reviewed these gorgeous earrings recently on my blog, you can read the review by clicking here. My red Loraine heels were also a perfect red pop and I actually find myself wearing these shoes more and more as they just go with SO much!

The Margaret dress retails for $108US which is around $146AUS. I can give testament that these dresses are definitely worth the money and for pinups on the go Karina dresses would be ideal for their versatility and iron free maintenance! They ship worldwide and their styles are available in a range of different patterns!

I hope you've all enjoyed this blog! I'm endevouring at the moment to bring better blog posts to you all and I really feel like my blog is getting to where I always wanted it to be!

As always, I'm more than happy to answer questions and comments both on my posts and on my other social media pages!

Til next time darlings!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received these shoes as part of a sponsorship with Royal Vintage Shoes, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers.